Rapid measuring or spacing gauge



March 29, 1938. I i:V R055 2,112,789

RAPID MEASURING OR SPACING GAUGE March 29, 1938. L' F. R055 RAPID MEASURING OR SPACING GAUGE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 28, 1935 Inventor L W, P056 Egg;

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Patented Mar. 29, 1938 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE RAPID MEASURING R SPACING GAUGEv Louis Frederick Ross, Kansas City, Mo. Application August 28, 1935, Serial No. 38,321

3 Claims. (Cl. 29-67) My invention relates generally to a spacing forwardly of the set screw Il. Slidable along or measuring gauge, and particularly to an inthe bar remote from the block 9 is the slide block strument of this character for use on mitering i4 which like the block 9 is generally rectangular machines, saw trimmers, and other machines rein form and has on its front face an arcuate 5 quiring accurate measuring or spacing of ma- Scale I5 with which cooperates a pointer lever I6 5 terials to be mitered or cut in specified lengths, which is L-shaped as indicated in Figure 6 and and an important object of the invention is to has a rectangular cross-section foot portion I1 provide a simple and efficient device of this chararranged in an opening I3 in the right hand end acter, which is relatively inexpensive to manuof the block and engaging the innerface of a 10 facture. movable section I9 which is mounted on a screw -10 Another important object of my invention isv having a large head 2I and having circumto provide a device of the character indicated posed thereon between the head ZI and the secabove which is capable of being very quickly and tion i9 the retracting helical spring 22 which accurately adjusted, and which is not subject normally retracts the section I9 into engagement l5 to getting out of order easily. with the block Ill. The head 2l slides in a bore 15 Other important objects of my invention will 23 which traverses the block in a longitudinal be apparent from a reading of the following dedirection. The block I4 supports and POSOnS scription in connection with the drawings, Wherethe end of the bar 38 opposite the block 9.

in for purposes of illustration I have shown The pointer lever i8 is so arranged that it has 2o a preferred embodiment of my invention. a pointing DO-rtOn 24 lying OVeI and elOng the 2o In the drawingszscale I5 which when the lever I6 is swung in a Figure 1 i5 e, general perspective View 0f the. vertical plane will travel from one graduation to embodiment. the other on the scale I5 and at the same time Figure 2 is an enIarged elevational View of the rotate the foot portion ll in a manner to work 25 left hand end portion thereof. the section I9 toward and away from the block 25 Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional View I4- The 1301111561 leVel I5 iS Worked by Ineens taken through Figure 2 approximately on the line of a screw 25 which is mounted to the iront face 3 3. of the block I4 by a bracket 26, the lower end of Figure 4 is an elevational view of the sliding the screw 25 engaging the upper edge Of the 3o block. v longitudinally extending portion of the lever I6 30- Figure 5 is a longitudinal vertical sectional as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 4. view taken through Figure 4. Like the block 9 the block I4 has in its back Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken a notch 21 slidably receiving the rectangular bar through a portion of Figure v4. 8, and below this notch a bore 28 which slidably Figure 7 is a horizontal sectional view taken receives the bar 38 and is located below and to 35 through Figure 6 approximately on the line 1-1 one side of the bore 23. and looking upwardly in the direction of the The bottom of the block I4 is beveled as indiarrows. cated by the numeral 3B and set into an opening Referring in detail to the drawings, the nutherein is a pivot 3l on which an ear 32 Works,

.io meral 5 generally designates the L-shaped body the latter being fastened to a latch 33 which has 40 of the device which is generally rectangular in an Operating heed 34 et One endend e hook or cross section and has on opposite edges the main detent 35 at the opposite end. graduations E and the sub-divisions I thereof. The detent enters en Opening 36 in the left slidably mounted on the left hand end of the hand end of the block and engages depressions l5 bar 8 which is the principal measuring portion 3T in the Surface Of e round Tod 33- A Compres- 45 of the body 5, is the block 9 which is formed in sion spring 39 sets into an Opening 40 in the botits rear face with a notch IB which slidably retom of the block and engages the headed portion ceives the bar 8; a vertical set screw II traverses of the latch 33 to keep the detent engaged with the lower part of the block and enters the openthe rod 38 whereby the block I4 is maintained 5o ing I0 to engage the underside of the bar 8 for in a position into which it is brought when the 50 locking the block 9 in an adjusted position on head of the latch is released.

the bar 8. The left hand end of the rod 38 has xed for Another set screw I2 enters the front side of rotation therewith the knob 4I) which has faces the block and engages in a bore I3 which traverses 4I on which appear suitable markings to corre- 5 the block horizontally below the opening I0 and spond with respective longitudinal rows of the 55 depressions 31. The depressions 31 are also in each row longitudinally spaced in a predetermined manner to correspond with the graduations 6 and 1 on the edges of the bar 8. Adjacent the head 4l) the round rod 38 has longitudinally aligned with each of the rows of depressions 31 the sockets 42 with which the inner end of the screw I2 is engageable to lock the block 9 and therefore the bar 8 and the block I4 in a certain circumferential position on the bar 38 corresponding to the particular row of measuring depressions 31 chosen. I'n operating the device 'of the invention, after the screw I2 has been` released, the knob or head 48 is turned until a chosen marking on the face thereof faces the operator. For instance, if spacing of two and one-half picas is desired, Where the instrument is graduated in picas, the number 2%; on the face of the knob 40 is brought so as to face the operator. Then the operating block or slide block I4 is released by pressing the latch lever 33 and moving the block until the detent of the lever slips into the next calibration depression 31. Each set or row of calibrations on the rod 38 can be utilized in the same manner, so that a quick, accurate measuring of the material to be cut or mitex'ed is capable of being achieved. As already stated, the indicia on the body 5 correspond to the calibrations on the rod 38.

If the rod 38 is returned so as to place the pica calibrations thereon to face the operator, the slide block I4 will move one pica every time it is moved forward by pressing the latch 33, or it can be moved to positions corresponding to the indicia on the body 5, and the detent portion 35 of the lever will engage the corresponding pica calibrations on the rod and hold the block in position.

On the table of the mitering machine or trimmer, such as the device of the invention is adapted to be mounted on, there is a bar for the purpose. On the Ross all-angle rotary mitering machine this bar is in the form shown in Figure 1 of the drawings herein and the measuring or spacing gauge is fastened by the block 9 and the screw I I, the latter passing through the block 9 below the bar 38 and coming into contact with the arm of the machine. For mounting this gauge on a saw trimmer, the same procedure is followed in general. The measuring or spacing gauge is mounted on the machine. so that the -bar 38 is between the operator and the arm of the machine to which the gauge is attached. This will put the slide block in such a position that the knob 34, by pressure on which the block is released to move back and forth on the bar 38, is in front of the operator. The measuring gauge does not work vertically, except that on the Ross all-angle rotary mitering machine it is automatically carried up and down as the table moves up and down to carry the material worked on across the cutting member. On a saw trimmer the gauge is moved back and forth to carry the material against the saw, and then moved back toward the operator after the cut has been made. The slide block I4 moves back and forth on the rod 38 to determine the length of the material to be cut.

The purpose of providing the part I9 movable with respect to the part I4 grows out of the consideration that the pica is the unit of measurement in'piinting. 'I'here are twelve points in a pica and six points in a half pica. The calibrations on the part 38 are spaced in exact half picas and multiples thereof. For the majority of work, the 'rod I8 will be set so that the half pica line of calibrations will be facing the operator so as to engage the detent 35. In cutting material to be used in setting type forms, it is frequently necessary to have smaller fractional parts of a pica than a half pica. For instance, if it is necessary to miter a piece of border 12 picas and three points in length, it is necessary to have an arrangement that will afford l2 picas plus three points, or thirteen picas less nine points. Therefore, the slide block I4 is set at the 121/2 pica mark on the arm of the machine, and the screw 25 is then turned clockwise far enough to move the lever IB up three points on the scale I 5, which results in moving the part I8 three points away from the block I4. This affords a length of 12 picas and three points. By turning the screw 25 clockwise and moving the part I6 forwardly on the scale I5, the spring 22 is depressed, because the bolt 2I moves forwardly through the bore 23, the head of the bolt depressing the spring. When the screw 25 is turned lcounterclockwise and returns the part I6 to its normal or initial position on the scale I5, the spring 22 expands and pushes the screw 2I back through the bore 23 to its normal or initial position, thereby bringing the part I 9 into close contact with the block I4.

Although the measuring or spacing device shown and described herein is designed primarily for use on the Ross all-angle rotary mitering machine, it is adapted to be used on saw trimmers or as a spacing or measuring device on any machine Vused in printing. This mitering machine is covered by Patent No. 2,049,176 granted .to me on July 28, 1936. The device may be made rin any suitable size and the calibrations made in inches or feet instead of in picas or in other lcalibrations for use on machines employed in any line of Work which requires a quickly operated spacing or measuring device. I

1 Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is `to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto,

and any change or changes may be made in the materials, and in the structure and arrangement of the parts, within the spirit of the invention andthe scope of the subjoined claims.

What is claimed is:-

1. A rapid measuring gauge of the character described comprising a bar having a slide thereon, a block mounted on the bar, said slide and said block having registering bores, a round rod traversing said bores and lying alongside of said bar, longitudinally and circumferentially spaced indentations in saidround rod corresponding to predetermined linear units of measurement,said rod being rotatable for selecting a longitudinal `row of calibration indentations on the rod, and means on the slide for engaging in a selected indentation for holding the slide in a longitudinally adjusted position.

2. A rapid measuring gauge of the character described comprising a bar having a slidey thereon, a block mounted on the bar, said slide and said block having registering bores, a round rod traversing said bores and lying alongside of said bar, longitudinally and circumferentially spaced indentations in said round rod corresponding to predetermined linear units of measurement, .said rod being rotatable for selecting a longitudinal row of calibration indentations on the rod, and means on the slide for engaging in a selected indentation for holding the slide in adjusted position, and means on said block for engaging sockets formed in said rod and longitudinally aligned with the rows of calibrations on the rod for locking said rod in the desired position of rotation corresponding with the selected row of indentations on the rod.

3. A rapid measuring gauge of the character described comprising a bar having a slide thereon, a block mounted on the bar, said slide and said block having registering bores, a round rod traversing said bores and lying alongside of said bar, longitudinally and circumferentially spaced indentations in said round rod corresponding to predetermined linear units of measurement, said rod being rotatable for selecting a longitudinal row of indentations on said rod, means on the slide for engaging in a selected indentation for holding the slide in adjusted position, and means on said block for engaging sockets formed in said rod and longitudinally aligned with the rows of indentations on the rod for locking said rod in a position of rotation corresponding with the selected row of indentations on the rod, said slide including a section extensible to define fractional measurements of the graduations of any of the rows of indentations on the rod, and means on the slide for operating said section.

LOUIS F. ROSS. 

